One win down, two to go.
The Portland Thorns beat Racing Louisville FC 3-0 Wednesday night at Providence Park behind a trio of second half goals. The win was the first of what could be three in a row to finish the regular season, which would guarantee the Thorns their second consecutive NWSL shield.
Portland (9-3-8, 35 points) sits atop the league standings, one point ahead of the San Diego Wave and OL Reign and two points ahead of the Houston Dash and Kansas City Current. The Thorns’ road to the top record in the league can be made easier if any of those teams slip up in their final two matches.
“I’m really proud of the team,” Thorns coach Rhian Wilkinson said. “First, huge credit to our back line, our midfielders, our forwards. The defensive work. Bella (Bixby) in net. I was just really happy. They snuffed out a lot of opportunities from Louisville. One of those performances where the first half was frustrating but they just stuck with it. Our process is to stick together and through the frustration, they found a way.”
The Thorns dominated the first half Wednesday, outshooting Louisville 16-3, including eight shots on goal.
Portland’s onslaught began in the eighth minute with a shot on goal by Sophia Smith, a pestering presence for the Louisville back line all night. Janine Beckie fired one in for Portland in the 12th minute, and Smith’s follow-up shot was stopped as well.
A pair of shots were saved off the line by Louisville defenders in the 14th and 15th minutes, the most ample opportunities for Portland to score and the most impressive defensive plays by the road side as well.
Louisville lost one of its key players to what appeared to be a serious leg injury in the 23rd minute, when Nadia Nadim went down, then left due to injury. She was replaced by Kirsten Davis.
In the 30th minute, Olivia Moultrie showcased her instincts in the midfield as she slid in to snag the ball away from a Louisville defender, setting up a trio of shots from Smith, Beckie and Sam Coffey. But all three were blocked away.
Portland expressed its displeasure with how the game was officiated throughout the half, and that came to a head when Moultrie received a yellow card in the 33rd minute for what appeared to be a phantom hand ball. The ensuing set piece from Emina Ekic smacked off the crossbar, very nearly giving the road team the lead in a game it had been thoroughly dominated in.
“It’s frustrating, for sure, but if I let it get to me it’ll affect how I play,” Smith said. “I try to not think about it too much going into the games and accepting the fact that I’ll probably be getting fouled left and right. I don’t want to get fined ... but it’s not gonna get called.”
Portland went into the half frustrated, then came out firing.
Smith received a perfect ball ahead from Kelli Hubly in the 47th minute, speeding past defenders and shaking the keeper out of her cleats before calmly putting it home to put the Thorns up 1-0.
“Honestly, they were saying if there was pressure, just hit it over,” Hubly said with a laugh. “I said, ‘Oh, it’s the beginning of the half. I’m just gonna try it.’ And it actually worked and I was like, ‘Wow, who would’ve thought I would’ve assisted there?’ It was really exciting.”
One minute later, Coffey received a ball from Moultrie and made a quick move to her left foot, firing one into the back of the net for her first career NWSL goal and a 2-0 Thorns lead.
Moultrie made it 3-0 in the 56th minute, sneaking into a strong position inside the box and firing one home with skill and finesse. She was subbed off soon after in favor of Christine Sinclair, receiving raucous cheers from the Thorns faithful.
Portland held on to its lead the rest of the way despite a few near chances for Louisville, finishing with 29-7 advantage in shots.
“I felt like we played really, really well as a team,” Smith said. “All the pieces really came together. Would have liked to get a few goals in the first half and start strong, but to come out at halftime and put goals away and play as a team, I think it shows a lot about our team and what we want to accomplish this year. I’m really proud of the team.”
Crystal Dunn made her 2022 Providence Park return on the night as well, subbing on for Portland in the 78th minute. She had an open shot at goal, but didn’t quite get the right strike, missing the best of two chances during her shift.
Next up: Portland hosts the Chicago Red Stars at 1 p.m. Sunday in the penultimate match of the regular season (TV on Fox 12 Plus, streaming on Paramount+).
-- Ryan Clarke, [email protected], Twitter: @RyanTClarke